Information

Kagemono
Legacy Name: Kagemono

The Nightmare Kumos
Owner: Alkuna

Age: 9 years, 9 months, 3 weeks

Born: November 22nd, 2016

Adopted: 9 years, 9 months, 3 weeks ago

Adopted: November 22nd, 2016

Statistics

• Level: 10
   
• Strength: 26
   
• Defense: 26
   
• Speed: 25
   
• Health: 25
   
• HP: 25/25
   
• Intelligence: 39
   
• Books Read: 39
• Food Eaten: 0
• Toys Played: 0
• Job: Unemployed

Greetings and welcome! Today, we're going to delve into the mysterious horror that creeps about on the edges of your perception. Have you ever felt a sudden, inexplicable prickle of unease when you’re alone in the woods, and something’s just… off? Maybe you catch a flicker of movement, but when you whip your head around, nothing’s there. You may not be losing your mind: instead, you may be stalked by a Kagemono.(Kah-gay-moe-no)

First discovered in Shengui Guo, these entities are dubbed 'Shadow Figures' in the local language, though that name barely hints at how disturbing they really are. In other places, people have started calling them the Pelt-Weaver or Skin-Mimic.

Description:

The Kagemono doesn’t fit into any normal category. It has no skeleton, no organs, nothing resembling a solid body. Picture something halfway between a squid or octopus and a predatory puddle of oil. Shapeless, and ranging from pitch-black to shadowy gray.

But its most chilling part is not its form, but what it wears. Field biologists tracking the creature have noted that the creature prefers the skins and pelts of various mammals. But they don’t just crawl under a skin and hide; they pull it on and wear it, twisting and stretching it to look like the animal it used to be. They can make a skin stand up, move its legs, even fake breathing by expanding and contracting what used to be the animal's chest. To someone passing by, it seems like a regular, if bedraggled, animal. But for the Kagemono, it’s camouflage, and a hunting blind.

The disguise isn’t perfect, though. If you look closely, something’s definitely off. The way it moves doesn’t quite make sense; as if there are no bones inside. The skin flexes in ways that just aren’t natural. Its fake spine bends too far, powered by whatever shape that shifting darkness decides to take. It can turn its head almost all the way around, further than any animal should. Sometimes, you’ll see pelts that are years old, maybe even decades, tattered and rough because it doesn’t groom them. The eyes? Just dark, empty holes. If it opens its mouth, there are no teeth or tongue, just a black void. Old wounds in the hide, rips, rot, bullet holes, leak thin, oily vapor. It isn’t smoke; it’s a part of the Kagemono itself, drifting into the air, hunting for another victim.

If someone were to make the mistake of getting too close, they would notice the disgusting smell. People say it smells like a grave: damp soil, that gut-churning tang of rotting meat, and sour rot.

Hunting and Feeding Behavior:

When a pelt gets too shabby to keep fooling anyone, the Kagemono moves on to find a new target. Sometimes it’ll just stand there, perfectly still, watching its next victim. Other times, it creeps closer, picking up on and mimicking their little habits. This isn’t just for show: it’s the heart of its hunting style: freezing its prey with fear and confusion.

Most animals know to run the second they spot the outline of a kumos or tigrean. But come face-to-face with one of these rotting, silent doubles, oozing black mist, moving with that unnerving, boneless grace, and instinct just shorts out. Usually, that moment of hesitation is all the Kagemono needs.

When it strikes, the pelt splits wide open, and this writhing shadow inside surges out. It swallows up its prey in seconds; the whole creature just gets absorbed, leaving only the skin behind. The old pelt gets dumped, a deflated, dissolving shell, while the Kagemono slips into its new disguise.

It takes decades to wear out a well-kept hide, so this isn’t about feeding, not really. It’s about staying hidden. Nobody even knows if the Kagemono digests the skinless remains, since no one’s ever found anything left behind. Kagemono usually haunt the backwoods, hunting only wild animals. However, humans are also a concerning target, as lost locals, tourists, and hikers can wander into their range by accident.

This is where the Kagomono’s true nature and threat become apparent. The Kagemono doesn’t eat people for flesh, and as far as anyone knows, it’s never skinned a human for a pelt. Scientists think that’s because copying two-legged movement may require more balance and skill than the Kagemonos can mimic. The same goes for flying or gliding; dexterity’s not their strong suit. That also explains why big birds and other bipedal Subeta Pets don’t get targeted, but the larger, four-legged ones do.

Instead of attacking, the Kagemono stalks the human: lurking in peripheral vision only to disappear or go immobile when looked at directly. Most people aren’t eager to get closer to a weird animal leaking black fog and standing eerily still, so the creature rarely uses pelts around people. Instead, it hides its pelt somewhere safe and follows quietly, slipping from one shadow to the next, waiting for the right moment. That’s when it merges with its victim’s shadow.

This is how it feeds. Bit by bit, over several days, the unlucky person's shadow just shrinks, no matter the lighting. It pulls tighter, gathering beneath their feet, until at last, it disappears altogether.

When a Kagemono swallows someone’s shadow, everything goes downhill. The victim grows weak, cold, and drained; many people believe your shadow is tied to your very soul, and this seems to be confirmed. They start to look transparent and washed out. Their reflection fades too. Emotions and memories slip away until there’s nothing left inside. Animals and people notice the change: they give the victim a wide berth, sensing something awful’s happened. Once the shadow is totally gone, the Kagemono lets its victim go and returns to the wild with its pelt. After that, there’s no coming back, and the person usually dies not long after.

Lair:

Kagemono usually stick to the wilds, settling in the same territory as whatever animal they’re copying. If the animal has a regular place to den up, that’s where you’ll find the Kagemono hiding from bad weather or “sleeping.” Truth is, nobody knows if they actually need sleep like real animals do.

It’s just not safe to crawl into an enclosed space when a Kagemono is denning there. entity. The suggestion of using camera drones is still under review.

Social Structure:

Kagemono are solitary entities. Like most wild predators, they take over a patch of land and stay put until their skin wears out or the land stops providing for them.

Reproduction:

Nobody’s ever seen these things breed or raise young. As far as we know, there aren’t any baby Kagemono.

Combat:

If you know what to look for in a human who’s been targeted, you can still help them. Field researchers and survivalists have come up with a few solid ways to scare off, fight, or even get rid of these shadow creatures.

If you spot a Kagemono in animal skin wandering near people, set up perimeter lighting fast. Get rid of every dark corner with motion-activated LEDs or smart bulbs, so there’s nowhere to hide.

If you come across a rotten, empty animal skin on the victim’s property, destroy it; usually, burning works best. Rotting skins are dangerous and packed with nasty germs, so suit up first:

Wear heavy-duty rubber or nitrile gloves.
Put on an N95 mask or a respirator to avoid breathing in bacteria and spores.
Wear safety goggles in case anything splashes.
Use a hazmat suit, or at least clothes with long sleeves and pants that you can wash or throw away later.

Once the Kagemono can’t get back to its pelt, you can trap it in its victim’s shadow and then move to the next step.

Shine a strong light right at the victim’s shrinking shadow. Kagemono are basically made of shadow, and they love places with deep darkness and sharp contrast. A powerful, steady beam, with no shadows nearby, forces them out. Sometimes they’ll bolt for the wild, but a high-powered flashlight (2,000 lumens or more) is fatal to a Kagemono.

Conclusion:

Remember that Kagemono are the ultimate predators, threatening a fate far more permanent than physical death. Yet, they are not invincible. Whether relying on high-lumen flashlights or sheer mental fortitude, humanity has always found a way to push back the dark. True defense begins long before the shadows lengthen. By memorizing the tells and keeping your guard up, you ensure that your soul remains entirely your own. Stay vigilant, stay prepared, and never let them see your fear.

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